Labour Ministry Encourages Public to Access Services Via Satellite Offices

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is encouraging Jamaicans in rural or remote areas to utilise its satellite offices, which make the Ministry’s wide range of services more accessible in these communities.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., and State Minister, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, toured one of the offices, situated at the Castleton Health Centre in St. Mary, on Wednesday (April 23), alongside key Ministry personnel.

Mr. Charles noted that the satellite offices, designed as outstations, demonstrate “how the Ministry has responded to the complaint that we only have services in capital areas”.

“We have expanded the footprint of the Ministry through these offices, bringing services to persons who would not often get the opportunity to travel the distance. It’s also a reflection of efficiency in government because, here, the health centre is operating and, simultaneously, we are operating,” he stated.

Currently, there are 26 satellite offices in operation across seven parishes, four of which are in St. Mary.

In addition to Castleton, the public can visit offices at the Annotto Bay Community Centre, Gayle Health Centre and Rock River Health Centre, which operate on different days each month.

“We want as many Jamaicans as possible to check out the information. If you live in a rural area or some remote area, there might be a satellite office near you, and it is very important for you to know the day the satellite office will be operating,” Mr. Charles stated.

He assured that the Ministry will continue to take steps to reach as many Jamaicans as possible.

For her part, Manager for the Ministry’s St. Mary Parish Office, Charmaine McFarlane, indicated that “we offer our services here so that persons within the Castleton area have access… because travelling from Castleton to Port Maria would be difficult for them… so we try to make it easier”.

She outlined that through the satellite office, persons are able to register for the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), National Insurance Scheme (NIS), perform checks on grants and other forms of assistance, among other services.

“Persons come to the health centre on a fourth Wednesday because the doctors are here. So normally, we offer [these services] on that day so that a lot of persons can benefit. Whatever they want to check on, we are able to do it because we also have our laptops [and] everything is on [those], so we are able to work remotely,” Ms. McFarlane informed.

For more information on the satellite offices, persons can visit the Ministry’s website at www.mlss.gov.jm.